By the Sword
by Jasmine2009
Summary: A rift in the partnership causes the cowboys to part ways. Can they survive without each other? Complete


Title: By the Sword

Author: Jasmine

Universe: Alias Smith and Jones

Date: Feb 2009

Summary: A rift in the partnership causes the cowboys to part ways. Can they survive without each other? Complete

Heyes looked at his cards, nothing. He'd managed to lose fifty dollars already, and in his state, he was set to lose another fifty. With a look of disgust, he threw his cards down on the poker table.

Had it been two months since he and The Kid had gone their separate ways? He couldn't remember exactly, it seemed like forever ago. He wondered how things got to that point. It was the pressure of going straight, he kept telling himself. Maybe trying for amnesty was a stupid idea. Maybe they should have just continued their bank robbing ways until they were caught, or worse. It was the running that got to them; always looking over their shoulder, starting to suspect everyone and anyone of wanting the reward money.

"Hey, Mister? You playin'?"

Heyes looked up into four pairs of expectant eyes.

"Ante up, if'n ya'are."

The dark haired man sighed and threw in his money. His cards were no better than the previous hands and his luck was just as bad. Had the face cards already been dealt? He couldn't remember, and not being able to concentrate was no good in a poker game, especially when his funds were low and poker seemed to be his only means of income lately. He finished playing his hand and left the game, practically unnoticed. He moseyed over to the hotel where he'd been renting a room for the past several nights, and fumbled with the key until the door opened. In the dark, he stood a minute waiting for his eyes to adjust, like he'd done every night since The Kid had left. But the bed was empty, and there wasn't an extra pair of boots on the floor, or another gun belt on the dresser. Tonight, he didn't bother to light the lamp, he didn't need it. He lay in bed, looking up at the black ceiling, wondering what his partner was doing.

***********************************

The night was as bright as the day, with a full moon and so many stars they seemed to blend into each other. The distant howl of wolves reminded him of the dangers of the territory. _Another night under the stars_, Kid thought. _Another night alone_.

Kid Curry pulled his hat down over his face, blackening his world, but not his mind. The problem with the mind was that it had a way of filling the eyes with visions, and his mind never seemed to disappoint, and the vision was always his partner.

Rolling over, he tried to get comfortable. Nothing like a bed of rocks and stones to deflect his thoughts. How many sleepless nights could he have? Was there no end to this? He had a little money, but it hadn't started out that way. At first, he had retained a job as a trapper. Not his favorite kind of work, but it didn't require conversation and he found that he liked spending time out in the wild. As long as the animals weren't too big or too dangerous, he was able to make a few extra dollars off the kills. The added benefit was that it gave him an opportunity to practice shooting a rifle, something he had been wanting to do. He tracked a cougar for two days before he landed a shot that killed it instantly.

But then it was on to the next job, and the next. He was discovering that being around people just wasn't as fun as it used to be. And being without money definitely wasn't any fun. His lack of funds didn't bother him all that much because he could sleep under the stars and kill whatever he needed to eat. But he lacked purpose and that, he realized, was something his partner had always had. A sense of purpose.

Curry sighed, placed his hand on his gun, and forced himself to relax. Sleep would eventually come if he waited long enough.

**************************************

Heyes decided it was time to move on. He checked the paper as he did every morning for information. It was hard to admit to himself, but he was checking the paper to make sure there were no headlines about Kid Curry; the man had a penchant for finding trouble. That thought brought a crocked smile to his face. After breakfast, he rode Northwest, towards California, for no particular reason except that the sun was behind him on this hot dry summer day. He also knew of a quaint little town called Freemont that was less than a day's ride away.

Heyes arrived shortly before supper and went into a saloon for a drink. The ride had done him some good. The scenery was beautiful, the sky was blue with nary a cloud, and the mountains were serene and majestic. He didn't pass a single person the entire trip, which wasn't unusual, but it made for a lonely day. It was nice to be back around people, in familiar surroundings of a saloon, with the music playing and the soft rumble of voices as people slowly got drunk.

Over in the corner was an intense poker game for which he eyed for close to thirty minutes. He noted the stakes were too high for him but he watched with interest anyway. At another table, the stake was much lower and the people much less knowledgeable about the game. Confident that he could win a few dollars, he joined in and within a few hands, he was up by fifty.

A couple of hours later, he was still playing and winning, when a cocky young cowboy joined the game. It didn't take long before Heyes discovered the secret to his success.

"You accusing me of cheatin'?"

Heyes gently countered, "I'm saying that if you're going to deal, the cards always remain on the table."

"Mister, I don't like what you're saying."

"I'm sorry about that, but when you play cards with me, the deck should stay on top of the table or in your hand until the game is over."

The cowboy sneered, "I was wondering how you managed to get all that money in front of you. Now I'm beginning to wonder if it ain't 'cause you go around accusin' people of cheatin'?"

"Now, I'm not accusing you of anything. It's just that when you deal, all the players have the right to see the deck."

The cowboy stood up and Heyes immediately noticed that he was wearing a six gun tied to his leg. A well made six gun at that, and it gently rested in a well made holster attached to an expensive belt. The image reminded him of someone else. The men around him scattered and the saloon became quiet. Heyes could feel the blood leave his face. Was he really going to get into a gun fight with this stranger? His mouth went dry and every alarm in his head was telling him to back down.

And that's exactly what he intended on doing. He smiled and placed both hands on the table, in a gesture of conciliation, and said, "I must have been mistaken. I'm sorry." He looked around to make sure nobody was going to make any sudden moves, then continued, "I've been in the saddle all day and I must be more tired than I thought."

The gunslinger narrowed his eyes, disappointed in the man's inability to be goaded into a fight. "Why don't you collect your money and git!"

"Think I'll do just that," Heyes scooped up his winnings, and left the table. While the saloon returned to normal, he sauntered over to the bar and got a shot of whiskey. The bartender said, "Sorry about that Mister. But you're damned smart to back down from him. Do you know who that is?"

Heyes shook his head.

"That's Black Jack McCoy. You ever heard of him?"

Heyes nodded. Black Jack McCoy was a cold blooded killer.

"He rides up and down the territory, stopping here a couple times a year looking for trouble, and he usually finds it in the form of someone like you. The difference is most aren't as smart as you and try to draw on him. He's just building his reputation is alls he's doin'."

"Reputation? For what?"

The bartender put the glass down he was shining and said, "For Kid Curry."

Heyes choked on his whiskey, and cleared his throat.

The bartender continued, "Black Jack McCoy is just waiting for the day he meets that outlaw. It sure will be a show to remember."

Heyes gathered his thoughts and pointed out, "I'm just guessing here, but Kid Curry isn't likely to announce he's in town."

"Nah, I reckon you're right about that. But he says he knows what he looks like cause he seen him in a gun fight once. He heard he was riding these parts nowadays, so that's what he does. He rides from town to town following the trail. I hear he's even got people looking for Kid Curry, and they're paid to telegraph him whenever they see anyone who fits Curry's description."

"Thanks," Heyes said. He laid down a coin on the table and left.

*****************************************

He was feeling anxious, and Kid Curry didn't know why. It had been almost a week since he'd been in a town, and longer since he'd slept in a bed, but all that was by design. The last couple of towns he had ridden through ended in a fast draw, and he blamed himself. He just wasn't able to avoid them, and he didn't really know why. Maybe all this solo living was getting to him, or maybe he half hoped to come up against someone a little faster…

Six hours later, he stabled his horse and stood in front of the saloon, debating. He checked his emotions; a little edgy, but tolerable. Satisfied, he pushed through the double doors where his senses were accosted by the smell of smoke, whiskey and sweat. He took a deep breath, reveling in the atmosphere. He hadn't realized how much he missed it.

At the bar he downed two shots of whiskey before a young brunette sashayed up to him and cooed, "Buy me a drink, cowboy?"

Curry looked down at the pretty little lady and shrugged, why not? Two hours and many drinks later, she was leading him upstairs.

"What do you do for a living?" she asked as she snuggled up against him in the bed.

"As little as possible."

"I bet you have a tough time staying out of trouble," she teased.

Kid furrowed his brow, "What makes you say that?"

"You just look like someone who can't."

"Now you sound like my partner—." The word hung in the air. He didn't have a partner anymore. The alcohol and easy conversation made him forget. He was done talking and she must have known that as she reached over and turned down the light.

The next morning, he quietly picked up his boots and his other belongings so as not to wake the girl, and tiptoed out the door. He was hungry, and out of money. Time to find work. By mid morning, he hadn't found anything, and he was still hungry. He just peeked at the bank for no other reason than to ascertain if they could use any security. He pushed the thought out of his head, even if he wanted to ask, he wouldn't. Heyes was the one who did all the talking in places like that. They never gave him a second glance, much less a two minute span of time to make a pitch for himself. It was probably time to move on.

******************************

Subconsciously, Heyes found himself riding right into Devil's Hole. The familiar mountains and well trod paths were welcome sights and even though he stayed off the main roads, he was still ever mindful of the law and where they might be perched. He had the time to enter the place properly; in fact, he had nothing but time.

Three days later, he sounded the warning shots and hoped like hell nobody decided to blow his head off.

"Heyes!"

"Wheat, how are ya?"

"Come on in, and get reacquainted with your old gang."

Heyes dismounted and gave the reigns to one of the boys and followed Wheat and Kyle and several of the other men into the cantina. There was a moment of awkward silence but Heyes didn't let it linger and asked, "So what have you boys been up to? Knocking off any banks lately?"

"A few. We did a job two days ride from here in a place called Peterson. Didn't have no money in it, though."

"No?" Heyes sympathized and shook his head, "depression has hit everyone, even bank robbers just trying to make a living."

Lobo agreed, "Dang right. We didn't get enough money to pay for the trip back here. Things are bad all over."

Heyes leaned back and nodded his head.

Kyle asked, "How 'bout you, Heyes. You been staying clean?"

"For the most part."

Another awkward silence fell and this one got Heyes' attention. He furrowed his brow and looked at the men, but they each avoided eye contact. Curious, he asked, "What's up fellas? You act like you know something that I should know."

Wheat hedged, "Well, it's just that, uh, Kid rode through a couple of weeks ago is all."

Heyes raised his eyebrows, interested. "Yeah? What'd he have to say for himself?"

The boys were noticeably nervous and hedged. Wheat finally answered, "That's just it Heyes, he didn't say nothing. He rode in and stayed a couple of days and rode off. And, well, there ain't a man up here who's willing to press Kid Curry for answers, if you know what I mean."

Heyes chuckled and nodded. He did indeed know what they meant. "Well," Heyes thought, "how'd he look?"

"Not so good," Lobo offered. "He wasn't his easy going self. He was angry, like something was gnawing at him."

Heyes looked thoughtful, even worried. "He been stayin out of trouble?"

"No," Dutch O'Reilly piped up. "When we did that job in Peterson, the papers were reporting a gun fight that ended in a fella getting a bullet in his arm."

Lobo added, "And a nearby town was also talkin' about a fella' getting his gun shot out of his hand. Seemed people were quite excited to have some action in their small town."

Kyle gloomily explained, "Heyes, the big question everyone was askin' in these small towns was, 'Who was this man?' There was even some talk that they thought it was Kid Curry himself making his way through the territory."

Wheat surmised, "The Kid don't seem to be able to avoid trouble nowadays."

As the men thought about the words, sadness descended over them. For all the talk about being afraid of Kid Curry, they really held him in high esteem. For an outlaw, he had a strong code of honor to his fellow outlaws, and on more than one occasion he'd come to their aid. Even when he wasn't around, just dropping the name Kid Curry was enough to thwart off a bad encounter. They were fairly confident Kid would never draw on any of them, but one never pressed his luck on matters like this.

Wheat broke the silence and asked, "What happened between you two?"

Heyes was set on not answering, but then he stopped and shrugged, "I really don't know. I guess the pressure of going straight just got to us. The uncertainty of the amnesty and the constant moving from town to town, looking over our shoulder every minute of every day, wondering who might recognize us and what sheriff knows us… Even when we did manage to stay out of trouble, trouble seemed to find us." The boys listened intently. Heyes paused a moment, then continued, "We were doing a job for a fella named McCreedy down in West Bend and it took a toll on both of us. We argued a lot, seemed we couldn't agree on much. Then, in the heat of an argument, he reminded me that he thought we should go our separate ways. He believed that I had a shot at the amnesty, but he didn't think he'd make it. I didn't give it too much thought, just another disagreement, and when we finished the job, I thought everything was okay, but it wasn't. Something wasn't right with him."

"What happened in West Bend?" Kyle asked.

"Well," Heyes started, remembering the humiliation, "The Kid was pushed beyond any man's limits. It started out innocent enough, but rapidly turned ugly. Kid had promised me that he would stay out of trouble, for McCreedy's sake and our own, and to prove it, he was going to be as meek as a mouse, and he lived up to his promise, but in doing so, he endured a tremendous amount of humiliation."

"Kid Curry, humiliated? That must have been some job you were doing," Wheat stated.

"Kinda," Heyes thought, "but every man's got a breakin' point, and Kid hit his. It ended in a showdown on the street and Kid outdrew this fella easily enough, but it had an effect on him. Over the next couple of weeks, he became sullen and withdrawn, and we were constantly arguing about stupid stuff. Then, one morning I woke up to a note. He said he wasn't sure if he'd make it and he wrote he didn't want to drag me down with him."

Kyle, Wheat, and the gang listened. It certainly fit the description of the Kid Curry who had just been there. "What'd you do?"

"At first, I was okay with it. I figured we needed some time apart, some time to regroup and get our heads back on. After six years of living outside the law, we were finding it less than easy to try and live inside it. And the constant arguing was getting to me too. So, I thought we'd spend some time doing our own thing and then we'd hook up again. Actually," Heyes allowed himself a chuckle, "I really thought that I'd be getting a telegram telling me to come and get him out of jail."

The boys laughed, they could easily see that happening.

Heyes turned somber again, and continued, "The telegram never came, and it became evident that he wasn't coming back. Soon, it was even time for me to move on. I tried to guess where Kid might go, but he knows this territory as well as anybody and could be anywhere. In retrospect, I should never have let him go. But I didn't know he'd really leave. And now, I'm just plumb worried that something's happened to him."

Dutch stated, "I think I heard about that incident in West Bend. A feller named Briggs, wasn't it?"

Heyes nodded.

Dutch continued, "Kid was lucky. Briggs is a killer."

"How'd you hear about that?" Kyle whined.

"I overheard the sheriff in Peterson talking about it. The general consensus is that there's only one person who could outdraw Briggs, and you know who that is."

Frustrated, Heyes hit the table with is fist and exclaimed, "The Kid just seems to be getting into more and more gunfights. It's like he's looking to die."

Wheat nodded, "You know the saying, Heyes, those who live by the sword, die by the sword."

************************************

Kid Curry brushed off his dusty clothes from the long ride and knocked on the door. "Howdy, Ma'am. I heard that you want to hire someone to deliver a package for you. I'd be interested in hearing more about it."

The older woman sized up the dust covered cowboy and pursed her wrinkled lips together. "I don't think so," she said, and went to shut the door.

Curry put his hand out to stop it and said, "If you're worried about references, I have good ones. You can telegraph Sheriff Lom Trevors in Porterville, and Harry Briscoe of the The Bannerman Detective Agency."

She stopped and cocked her head. "Why're you interested in this job?"

Curry smiled sincerely, and replied, "Well, Ma'am, I'm tired and hungry and not too many people are hiring right now and I sure could use the money. The bartender in town told me about the job."

She sized him up again, this time a little more earnestly. "You any good with that gun?"

"When I hav'ta, I can use it."

"You ever deliver anything before?"

"Yes, ma'am. I've delivered a statue, and some legal documents. Even transported fifty thousand dollars once. If you want, you can check those references."

Her interest was sufficiently piqued and she opened the door to let him pass. Inside, she continued to grill him with questions and he continued to answer politely and honestly. Finally, she said, "I have something extremely valuable that needs to be delivered to Brighton."

Curry furrowed his brow, "Brighton, Colorado?"

She nodded.

"Ah, Ma'am, Brighton's a fortnight ride from here."

"That a problem for you?" she countered.

"No, Ma'ma. But just how much are you willing to pay for this delivery?"

She squinted her eyes, displaying the shrewd business woman side of her personality for the first time. "Three thousand dollars."

Curry blinked, this must be some package. "This isn't some poisonous snake, is it?"

She shook her head, "No, but I'll be glad to be rid of it. You going to do it?"

Curry studied her, sensing an eagerness in the woman that she should never have allowed to surface. "Make it five thousand and you have a deal."

"All right, five thousand it is. We'll meet first thing tomorrow morning." She handed him one hundred dollars to bind the deal. "Meet me an hour outside of town at a place called Baker's Creek."

*******************************************

Hannibal Heyes woke up peacefully. He had forgotten how safe and comfortable he'd felt at Devil's Hole. The smell of breakfast cooking and the banter of men made him long for the days of old. But as quickly as he was feeling rested and assured, he also felt a great void in his life, an emptiness that he couldn't share with anyone because he wasn't sure if anyone could really appreciate how he was feeling. They could understand it, but he was convinced they couldn't feel it, and he was fairly certain he couldn't explain it. Sure, he and The Kid were partners, friends, some even believed cousins, but they were more to each other than that. At least, Kid Curry was more to him than that. Kid was part of his survival. Together they could tackle any problem, but alone, he knew what could happen to each of them alone. He'd seen it before with guys trying to make it solo. No, two people, looking out for each other was what it took to survive the West. And it wasn't until that moment that he realized it. Now, he felt a sense of urgency to reconnect with the Kid. At that moment, he made the decision to find him.

**********************************************

Kid Curry was tossing rocks in the creek when he heard the buggy. He watched as Mrs. Sheridan and her driver pulled up; a saddled horse was tethered to her rig.

She was succinct with her greeting, "Mr. Jones."

He nodded, scanning the area for the package. Instead, she handed over an envelop, "Here's two thousand dollars, you'll get the balance upon delivery. You'll make the delivery to Mr. and Mrs. Crockett, Brighton, Colorado. The note inside the envelope explains everything. They are expecting you in two weeks, so don't delay. Do you have any questions?"

Curry finished counting the money and said, "Just one. Where's the package?"

The driver got down and went to the back of the rig and untied the horse and brought it around and handed the reigns to him.

Curry looked perplexed. The horse was a regular western horse, nothing special. But the driver returned to the back of the buggy and lifted a small child and a carpet bag. Curry had not noticed anyone in the rig except the two, and his heart suddenly sank. The driver carried both to the horse. Without speaking, he lifted the little girl into the saddle, attached the carpet bag to the horn, and then hoisted himself back into the driver's seat of the rig. "Good day, Mr. Jones," the elderly woman said.

Curry gaped at the young girl, then he looked back at the now moving buggy. With one quick motion, he grabbed the buggy's harness and stopped the rig. "Are you crazy? I never agreed to transport a girl!"

Mrs. Sheridan's shrewd nature returned and she toned, "Did you accept one hundred dollars to bind the deal?"

"Yeah, but I never would have if I'd known―"

"I'm sorry Mr. Jones, but a deal's a deal, and you agreed to deliver this package to that address. The fact that you never bothered to ask what the package was is your bad luck."

"But I had no idea that the package was _that_!" he nodded. "I can't take her with me!"

The driver pulled a rifle up from next to him and aimed it. Mrs. Sheridan toned, "Mr. Jones, I suggest you let go of my horse or my driver may be forced to remedy this problem."

Curry stared down the barrel of the rifle, then at the driver, and finally back at Mrs. Sheridan. Slowly, he let the horse go and watched as the rig rode off out of sight.

Uncomfortable, he turned and stared at the girl. Her feet didn't reach the stirrups and her long locks of light brown hair were wavy and unkempt. She wore a white threadbare dress that was at least one size too big, and shoes that had seen better days.

He chastised himself for being so stupid. Heyes would never have gotten them into this mess… he would have asked all the right questions. Curry looked over the horizon and then back again; she was still sitting there, staring at him, wide eyed and frightened. If she only knew the half of it; he was more scared than she was! "Look… umm, what's your name?"

In a voice barely audible, she replied, "Penny."

"I'm Jones, Mr. Jones. Nice to meet you." He tried to sound pleasant in an awkward sort of way. "Uh, how old are you?"

The girl didn't answer, but her eyes were wide and flinty.

He nodded his head, still angry at himself for letting this happen. "Okay, Penny. It appears that we're going to be travelling together. As long as you do what I say and don't talk too much, we'll get along fine." He put the reigns over her horse's head and then mounted his own horse. The girl didn't move, she didn't so much as reach for the reigns. She just held onto the saddle horn. A thought occurred to him and he asked, "Have you ever been on a horse before?"

She nervously shook her head.

"Great," he mumbled, "hold on." He reached over and took the reigns and began to lead her horse down the road. All the while he was wondering how he was ever going to explain this to anyone who might ask, especially a sheriff.

************************************

Over breakfast, Heyes was quiet. Wheat commented, "You thinkin' 'bout Kid?"

Heyes nodded, "Is it that obvious?"

Kyle added, "It just ain't normal having only one of yous here."

Dutch drawled, "Yeah, I don't think I've ever seen you two apart."

Wheat hit the table with his hand and stated, "Whad are we sittin' around jawin' for? Why don't we jest go out and find him?"

Heyes was the voice of reason, "He could be anywhere, Wheat. I've tried looking for him, even sent a telegram to Lom Trevers, but he hasn't heard from him."

Wheat ignored the logic and asserted, "Well, I say we find him… bring him back here and knock some sense in him."

Lobo pointed out the general position on the subject, "When you go to knock that sense into him, don't expect any help from us. We don't exactly want Kid Curry holding a grudge."

Heyes smiled, but he actually liked Wheat's idea. He set his cup down and thought, "We could split up, go in four different directions, send a couple telegrams, and meet back here in a week's time."

The men thought about it a beat. "Why not?" Kyle grinned, "it ain't like we're doing anything else."

"Yeah. Besides," Wheat justified, "I want to check out that bank over in Clearwater."

Heyes couldn't help himself, he liked the excitement and actually wished he were checking out the bank too.

A couple of hours later, they were riding off in all directions.

***************************************

Four hours had passed when Kid Curry realized that he couldn't lead this horse the entire way to Brighton, Colorado. He adjusted her stirrups up as high as they would go, and showed her how to hold the reigns. With his rope tied to the horse's bridle, he began the lesson. Soon, she was riding on her own.

"That's the way to do it," Kid praised.

She smiled.

By late afternoon, she looked and acted like she'd been riding a horse for years. "You learn real fast, Penny."

"Can we run?" she asked.

Curry smiled, "Maybe tomorrow. The horses are tired and so am I. We'll stop here for the night and get something to eat."

She looked up hopeful. It was the first time Curry saw an expression like that on someone other than himself, or Heyes. "Are you hungry?"

She looked around nervously, then nodded. He got the impression that food was something this little girl didn't get enough of. He gave her instructions for gathering wood, and then he took his rifle out and left.

The fire crackled as the juices of the pheasant dripped into the flames. He watched her stare at the roasting bird, and lick her lips. He could almost feel her salivating. When it was cooked, he handed the stick across to his little ward. Her legs were tucked up tight in front of her and she wasn't sure what to do. "Go on, take some."

She pulled a piece of the meat off and ate it hungrily. She was just a little girl, but before supper was through, she had managed to eat a fair piece of the bird. Curry asked, "How long has it been since you ate?"

Penny shrugged, she didn't know. "We get bread and cheese and sometimes mush."

"Who's 'we'?" Curry asked.

"Me and the other children at the home." She yawned and her eyes looked heavy.

Kid rolled out his blanket and motioned for her to lie down. Without hesitation, she curled up into a ball, pulled her dress over her legs and rested her head on her hands. He took another blanket and covered her. It didn't take long before she was fast asleep.

By the warmth of the fire, Curry stared at her, contemplating his situation. What a fool he'd been. Every time he thought about it, he got angry at himself. He didn't realize just how much he relied on his partner to think things through. He wouldn't be doing this job if Heyes had been the one asking the questions. Certainly Heyes would have uncovered the contents of the package and they would have left without giving it a second thought. No wonder the job was still available; no one was fool enough to take it, except him.

As he watched the fire burn, he thought of his former partner. A pang of guilt fluttered through his belly. When he had left, he had done so under the best of intentions. He was fairly sure that it was him who was going to hold Heyes back, and prevent him from getting an amnesty. Kid Curry just wasn't able to stay out of trouble, and their constant arguing of late was turning him sour, not a disposition to have when you're capable of killing as easily as he was. But what if Heyes got into trouble? What if he took the wrong job or came up against the wrong poker player? There were more times than he could count when he'd been the one to back up Heyes' accusations.

The fire popped loudly, pulling him back to the present. He pushed the thoughts of Heyes out of his head and told himself that his partner was too smart to get into trouble, and even if by some far fetched circumstance, he found himself in a fix, he's simply talk his way out of it. He was satisfied with that conclusion, but all the same, he decided at the next town he'd send a telegram to Lom Trevors.

*******************************************

Heyes rode into the small town of Garfield and headed straight for the saloon. He looked around before sauntering up to the bar. The bartender served him a whiskey and engaged him in conversation, exactly what Heyes had hoped for. Before he left, he discovered that no man fitting Kid's description had come through town. He made his way over to the telegraph office and sent out two telegrams before returning back to the saloon. It was time to play some poker and earn some money. He was feeling good for a change. He was at least doing something.

*******************************************

Kid and Penny had been riding for almost six days. Kid had to hand it to her, she never complained and she didn't talk. They had a comfortable routine and she did her part and he did his. They had avoided towns and main roads and the few people they did encounter didn't ask questions. His supplies were dwindling and he was longing for both a shot of whiskey and a soft bed. It was close to noon when they rode into the town of Plattesville.

He and his ward seemed to draw quite a few stares as they rode down the middle of the street. Kid thought it was best to buy their supplies and get checked into the hotel, then he could slip away, send the telegram and get that much needed drink. Inside the general store, he looked around the shelves for what he needed. He paid little attention to the other patrons until a young woman interrupted him. "Excuse me, Sir,"

Curry looked at her and tipped his hat, "Ma'am."

"Is she yours?" she asked, nodding her head in the direction of Penny.

Penny was standing next to two little girls. "No, ma'am. I'm escorting her only."

"Oh," she replied, noticeably disappointed. "Well, if you don't think me too forward, how long will you be in town?"

"Just til tomorrow, ma'am, then we'll be moving on."

She wanted to say something, but she didn't want to sound pushy. Finally, she threw caution to the wind and said, "There aren't any little girls in town and when you rode through, my daughters practically dragged me down the street after you. We followed you in here and they, my girls, were hoping that maybe your little girl would like to play with them?"

Curry looked over at the girls. Penny was smiling and talking, more than she'd done in days. They seemed to like her long hair and Penny was admiring the girls' clothes. But what a difference in appearance. Penny's face was streaked with dirt and grime, her hands were filthy, her hair was full of knots, and her dress was no longer white, but brown and torn. He wasn't much better.

The woman sensed his reluctance and was quick to add, "My husband and I would be most appreciative, Mr...."

"Jones. Thaddeus Jones, Ma'am."

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Jones, I'm Mrs. Bailey. We have a small farm outside of town."

"I have to get us checked into the hotel and get cleaned up."

They heard the girls giggle and begin to run about the store. As they ran past, Curry reached out and scooped up Penny while Mrs. Bailey grabbed her two by the arms and scolded them. Turning her attention back to the stranger, the woman brightened and said, "I have an idea, Mr. Jones. Since the girls are having such fun together, would you accept an invitation to supper?"

Curry eyes met Penny's blue eyes, and they were all but pleading. When he smiled and nodded, she threw her tiny arms around his neck and hugged him. It caught him off guard, and the void that he felt in his life seemed to engulf his body.

Penny went off with Mrs. Bailey and her two daughters while he checked himself into the hotel. After he cleaned up and took care of some business, he would be joining them. It took longer than expected to send the telegram because he couldn't get the message right. Finally he settled on:

Lom stop Joshua and me have split stop Will have a better chance this way stop I'm doing fine, is he? stop Will be back in Plattesville in six days stop. Jones

Curry knocked on the door to the old farmhouse and was received by a weather worn farmer, looking older than his years due to hard work and sunshine. "Greetings! Mr. Jones!" and he shook hands vigorously. "I'm Bob Bailey."

"Nice to me you Mr. Bailey. I hope this isn't too much of an inconvenience to you and your wife."

"Not at all! And, please, call me Bob."

Bob Bailey was a happy man, with lots of life and laughter and love for his family. He was full of smiles and praise for his wife and kids and for his farm. He paused long enough to offer Kid a very fine cigar, for which Kid was more than happy to enjoy. They chatted a time before Mrs. Bailey entered the room and announced in a very formal manner, "Mr. Bailey and Mr. Jones, I'd like to present Miss Penelope!" and with a sweep of her arm, she directed their eyes to the left. Through the doors came a little girl, who more closely resembled a porcelain doll than a human being. She wore a freshly pressed blue dress, and shiny black shoes with white socks. Her cleaned and combed hair was pulled off her face with a single blue ribbon. The outfit brought out the sparkle of her blue eyes.

Curry's mouth opened. Was this the same little girl he was riding with? The transformation was incredible. Penny walked up to him and asked, "Do you like it?"

Curry nodded, and gently replied, "You look beautiful. Probably the prettiest girl I've ever seen." Penny smiled, proud of herself.

After supper, the girls had run off to play and Curry took the opportunity to thank Mrs. Bailey, "I really appreciate all you've done. Cleaning her up and letting her wear those clothes. I haven't seen her this happy since we started our journey."

Mrs. Bailey's smile was carefree, and she laughed when her husband squeezed her, "It was my pleasure. I haven't seen my daughters so happy in months! We love it out here, but my girls are lonely for other little girls."

As the evening finished, Curry stood up and said, "I reckon we'd best be going."

Mrs. Bailey looked to her husband and he nodded. Excited, she asked, "Mr. Jones, would you mind if Penny stayed here tonight? It would mean so much to Gretchen and Gail."

Curry hesitated, he was hoping for an early start in the morning; on the other hand, it would solve several problems he was facing, namely the one bed in the hotel room. "Are you sure it won't be any bother?"

Penny rewarded him with another hug. Kid mounted his horse and said he'd return in the morning. He paused a moment to admire Penny; she looked genuinely happy. They waved goodbye as he rode off.

******************************************

Heyes waited in Garfield until he'd heard back from Clementine and Georgette. Neither had seen nor heard from Thaddeus Jones. He rode another day's ride to the town of Springfield. There, he sent another telegram. Poker had served him well in Garfield, so he decided to pass the time here playing. Maybe he'd have as much luck.

*****************************************

Curry arrived at the Bailey farm just after breakfast. Penny was back in her old dress, only it was clean and the tears had been mended. She was excited to see him ride up and ran to greet him, showing off her clean outfit. Gretchen and Gail were fascinated with the horse Penny was going to ride. Curry lifted her up easily and placed her in the saddle and handed her the reigns. He jumped up onto his saddle and said, "I can't thank you enough. It's been real good for Penny."

Bob asked, "Where are you going?"

"We're heading to Brighton. Her aunt and uncle live there." Suddenly, their expressions changed. It was as if they'd heard something different than what he'd said. Even Penny's disposition went somber. It seemed like everyone knew something but him and he felt awkward. Mrs. Bailey was ready to say something, but her husband prevented her, and he interjected, "Well, then, Thaddeus, we wish you well on your journey."

The change in the atmosphere was so stark that he wanted to ask what the problem was, but before he could, Mrs. Bailey, trying to sound cheerful, said, "You take good care of yourself, young lady. We'll miss you."

Penny offered a sad smile, then waved to Gretchen and Gail before she turned her horse and followed Mr. Jones.

Several miles outside of town, Kid asked, "What was that about?"

Penny didn't answer.

"Why the long face when I told them where we were going?"

Penny still didn't answer, she only offered a half hearted shrug.

Kid just figured they were sad about having to say goodbye. He tried to convince himself that that was the reason. But no matter how he justified it, The Kid felt like he'd been gut kicked by a horse.

*********************************************

Heyes was ecstatic when he received an answer to his last telegram. He tipped the messenger boy an extra coin and calculated the date in his head. He'd have just enough time to get back to Devil's Hole, gather the boys and ride to Plattesville. "Thank you, Lom."

***********************************************

Penny didn't eat much. In fact, for the past two days, she hardly spoke. Normally, that would be fine with him, but the silence wasn't their usual easy silence, and he wasn't sure what happened. Then again, he wasn't sure he wanted to know. He was already feeling too much of an attachment to this little girl, and that was dangerous. Thinking she was asleep, he laid back and peered up into the stars. He failed to notice that she had gotten up and walked over to him. She knelt down beside him and asked, "Where are we going?"

Kid looked up into her shadowed face. "I was hired to take you to your aunt and uncle."

After a moment, she said, "I don't have an aunt and uncle."

Kid was confused and sat up, leaning back against the saddle. "Sure you do; at least that's what the note said. They live in Brighton."

She shook her head. He didn't need any light to know that she had begun to cry. Then she crawled under his arm and laid her head on his chest, and sniffled. He placed his hand awkwardly on her shoulder and listened to her cry. He didn't know what to do. He wished his partner was here, if for no other reason than to make sense out of something that didn't make any sense. Heyes was good at that.

********************************************

One by one the gang filtered back to Devil's Hole and each gave their report. It wasn't until Lobo reported what he'd learned that they were perplexed. A man matching Kid's description did ride through town but he wasn't alone, he was travelling with a girl.

"Ain't that like The Kid to take a woman with him," Kyle admired.

Lobo corrected, "You got it wrong Kyle. She was a _girl_! A _little_ girl!"

They looked at him like he was crazy and he further clarified, "They said she was probably no more 'an eight years old."

"That's ridiculous. What would Kid be doing with a child?" Heyes asked.

*******************************************

Kid and Penny finished the ride to Brighton with few words spoken. She had done everything he had asked of her, and had made no requests of him. Kid was having a tough time understanding their new relationship; but he knew he didn't like it as much as the old one.

The town of Brighton was misnamed. It was not a bright place at all. The buildings that weren't vacant were in need of repair, and the people hurried along like they didn't want to be outside any longer than absolutely necessary. Even the road leading into town was full of ridges and gullies, making it difficult for the horses to traverse.

Kid wondered why the two of them didn't garner the same attention riding through the center of this town as they had when they rode into Plattesville, but people here didn't give them a second glance. He tied his horse in front of the hotel and lifted Penny to the ground.

Inside the hotel, the clerk looked annoyed at the two of them and as he took Kid's money for the room, he admonished, "I don't want the likes of her staying here. It's still early, you can take her out to the Crockett House after you get settled."

Curry looked confused. "How do you know where we're going?"

He refused to answer and threw the key on the counter and turned his back. Curry wanted to press the issue, but decided against it. He carried his bags to the room and pulled out the letter and read the address, The Crockett House. _'How did he know?'_

"Let's go," he said. A few minutes later, they were back on their horses headed towards the Crockett House. Curry looked at her and she held the same scared look that he had seen the first time they'd met.

The house was large and run down. Curry knocked on the door and an elderly woman opened it slightly. He removed his hat and said, "Ma'am, I was hired to deliver this girl to her aunt and uncle."

The door opened a little further and she peered down at Penny. In a deep raspy voice, she demanded, "Who are you?"

"My name's Thaddeus Jones."

"Who sent you?"

"Mrs. Sheridan of Hansford, Texas."

She looked again at them both, then replied, "I'm her aunt. I'll get your money."

She returned with the money and opened the door to let the girl inside. Penny wouldn't look at him. He leaned down to say goodbye, but she turned away from him and walked through the door. The door slammed shut behind her. He looked around the place. It was obvious that it was not well kept, and he was surprised to see what appeared to be sentries guarding the property, and his every move being watched. His gut tightened.

Once back in town, he went straight to the saloon and tied his horse to the broken railing. Only a handful of people were there so he made his way to the bar and ordered a drink. When the bartender was leaving, Curry stopped him and queried about the town, "This town's a little run down, ain't it?"

The bartender looked nervous and looked around to see if anybody might be listening. "Takes money to keep a town up. Don't you know we're in a depression?"

All towns were in a depression, but this was the first one that actually showed the signs. Before Curry could inquire further, the bartender had gone down to the other end of the bar, purposefully avoiding any more questions.

"You won't get answers in here, Mister."

Curry turned around and found himself face to face with the sheriff. Making sure he didn't look guilty, he nodded his appreciation, "Thanks, Sheriff, I'll keep that mind."

"What's your business here, son?"

"I'm not too sure. I escorted a girl to her aunt and uncle's, but it didn't look like no home to me."

The sheriff looked around and then nodded for Curry to follow him. Very reluctantly, Curry picked up his glass and sat down at a table with him.

"What do you know about Brighton, son?"

"Not much. Actually nothing, first time I've ever been here."

"It used to be a great town, with a lot of potential. At the height of its heyday, we were 2000 people strong and growing. The grasslands out here are some of the best grazing land in the country, and the beefs get fat just standing in it."

"So, what happened?" Curry wanted to know.

"The Crockett family is what happened. They moved in and slowly changed everything."

"What'd they do?"

"They opened up a business, at least that's what they call it. They claim they fill a need."

At the request of the sheriff, the bartender brought over a shot glass and a half filled bottle of whiskey. He filled the glass for the sheriff, then left the bottle on the table and returned to his bar. The sheriff swallowed and poured himself another, and then poured another shot for his table companion before he continued with his story. "After the war, when the slaves were set free, land owners needed someone to work their fields and clean their houses. They needed replacements for the slaves. The Crockett family supplies these replacements."

Curry tilted his head in disbelief, "You mean to tell me that they send out children to do the work that slaves used to do?"

The sheriff nodded.

Curry's mind raced. Had he just dropped off this little girl to become a field worker, or worse? "How can you stand by and let that happen?!"

"We didn't, at first. The town pulled together and tried to stop it. But they came well connected. They have a network of people all other the country. Anytime anyone stood up to them, things happened. Soon, there weren't any people left to stand up to the Crocketts."

"What's your part in it?"

"As the sheriff, I'm just a figure head. I have no authority over anything in this town except what the Crockett's say I have. They've threatened to kill my family if I don't mind my place. I can't leave and I hate staying." He paused to swallow the shot in one gulp. Nodding to Curry's sidearm, he continued, "But I can assure you I won't interfere with anything you might plan." His meaning was obvious.

Curry took a minute to allow the story to sink in. He tried to come up with some sort of inconsistency, but everything seemed to fall into place. The longer he sat there, the deeper his anger became.

The sheriff recognized the look and said, "Listen, son, I won't be making any rounds tonight, just have your business concluded by sunrise." He finished his drink and left.

Kid Curry led both horses out of the stable undetected. He rode quietly towards the Crockett House. The sleeping sentries turned out to be no threat to his plans. As he stood in front of the window, he cursed his partner. Heyes was the one who was most adept at breaking into places. He concentrated on the lock until the window eventually slid open, and he stepped inside, where he was hit with a terrible stench. He followed his instincts and made his way upstairs and into a small room. In the corner, he could see Penny curled up. She ran to him and held on to him tightly, and he held onto her small trembling body. He picked her up and carried her back down the stairs and out the window. With nary a glitch, he put her up on her saddle, and together they quietly walked away from the house.

***********************************************

Heyes and the gang rode steadily. Unbeknownst to Heyes, Wheat and Kyle were planning an attack on the bank in Plattesville. They had heard about the bank and had wanted to hit it earlier, but having tendencies towards laziness, banks with closer proximity seemed to win out.

They were half way to Plattesville when Wheat asked, "How you think we'll find Kid?"

Heyes answered, "I'm hoping we find him playing poker in the saloon."

"I betcha we find him with a saloon girl!" Kyle envisioned wistfully.

"I betcha we find him in the street," Lobo announced, implying he'd be in a gun fight.

"We gonna take him back to Devil's Hole?" Kyle asked. "Beat some sense in him?"

Dutch replied, "Only if you volunteer to take him out, Kyle. Once he's no longer a threat, we'll help you."

The men laughed. Fists or guns, there wasn't a man amongst them who could take down Kid Curry, and they all knew it.

***********************************************

Curry and Penny had ridden through the night and most of the next day. If anyone was after them, they'd be a good six hours behind. Penny had done her usual good job of fetching firewood and Curry had done his job catching supper, and at that point in time, they were sitting in front of a crackling fire watching the pheasant roast.

Penny asked, "Why'd you come back?"

"I found out that they weren't your aunt and uncle."

She stared into the fire.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I was hoping it would be a better place than the last place, and I'd have somewhere to live."

"I'm sorry Penny, I didn't know."

She nodded, then she asked, "Where're we going?"

He shrugged, "I don't know."

"Can we stay together?"

He tried to smile, but he only ended up sighing. "You can't stay with me."

"But you like having me around, don't you? I'm not any trouble and I do everything you ask."

He studied her, "It's not that. I'm afraid you'd be in danger if you stayed with me."

"But I don't want to be alone anymore. And you don't want to be alone either."

Curry cocked his head, "Why would you say that?"

"Because you're sad. And at night, you talk about someone named Heyes. Is he dead?"

Curry swallowed, "No, he's not dead. We just had to split up for reasons that you wouldn't understand."

Penny thought about that and then said, "Do you miss him?"

Curry nodded, "Yeah, I do."

"If he ain't dead, then why don't you find him, and get back together?"

"Because we weren't getting along that well. We argued a lot."

"My brother and me would always fight too. He was always bothering me. But Mom said I should be thankful that he was around because it was better than him not being around."

Curry thought about this sage advice coming from someone he'd never met. "Your mother's a smart woman."

She sighed and simply stated, "My mom and dad are dead, they died of the fever. So did my brother."

Curry looked at her, having already figured her situation was something like that, then quietly said, "I'm sorry. You must miss them very much."

She absently replied, "Yeah. I'd give anything to be back with my brother." Furrowing her brow like a little adult, she admonished, "That's why I don't understand… if your friend isn't dead, and you miss him, why don't you find him?"

"It's complicated."

Then she brightened and said, "You know what? We're both alone, so that's why we should stay together, we can keep each other company and we won't have to be sad anymore."

The pheasant hissed an air pocket and Kid took it out of the fire and offered it to her. She pulled off a small piece and ate it. After a long period of silence, Penny asked, "What's gonna happen to me?"

Curry didn't reply; he didn't have an answer.

"Are you gonna take me back to that lady?"

"You mean Mrs. Sheridan? No, I'm not taking you back there."

"Good. I hate her, and I didn't like it there."

"How long were you there?"

She shrugged, "I don't know, but they were mean. I like it with you."

"I like it with you too, but like I said, it wouldn't be safe for you to stay with me."

They finished eating but instead of curling up in the blanket, she once again curled up in his arms. He wrapped his hand around her shoulders and stared up at the stars, wondering what he was going to do with her.

***********************************************

The gang of outlaws arrived in Plattesville a day early. Knowing Heyes wouldn't want any part of the bank job, Wheat and Kyle camped outside of town while Heyes went in and got a hotel room.

That night, the gang met up in the saloon. The place was bustling with people. The men sat at a table, drank some whiskey and took in the sights and sounds of the saloon. Heyes was in a particularly good mood and bought everyone a round of drinks.

Over the next several hours, he asked questions and made conversation. Back at the table with the boys, he shared what he'd learned, "Kid was through here a week ago, and he was with a young girl about seven or eight. They stopped into the general store, bought some supplies and then they rode out the next day."

"What was The Kid doing with a kid?" Kyle asked.

Heyes shrugged, "Nobody knows. I guess we'll find that out tomorrow when he rides back through Plattesville." They toasted their fine detective work and sat back enjoying the sights and sounds of the saloon.

"Oh no," Heyes said

"What is it?" Wheat asked.

"Black Jack McCoy."

They all looked in the direction of the door and watched a man dressed in all black enter the room. People stopped a beat to look; he was a gunman and he dressed and acted the part.

"He's a stone cold killer," Dutch snarled.

"I wonder who he's after?" Kyle moaned.

"I'll give you one guess?" Heyes replied.

"You can't be serious!" Wheat said, incredulously. "Kid?"

Heyes nodded.

"When you said Kid couldn't stay out of trouble, you weren't joking!" Lobo stated.

"And he ain't even here and he still gets into trouble!"

They sat in silence a while, watching as Black Jack McCoy took a turn around the room. He locked eyes with Heyes, but then moved on. Wheat and Kyle excused themselves and left to case out the bank. Heyes joined another table of poker players and the next six hours passed uneventfully.

At midnight, Heyes said goodnight to the boys and stared after them as they rode off. He meandered over to the hotel, excited about hooking up with Kid the next day but apprehensive all the same. What would Black Jack McCoy do? How would Kid react to him? Would he really have to knock some sense into Curry? That was the problem with Kid Curry: you could never be sure what he was thinking.

**********************************************

Penny recognized the road, "We're going to see Gretchen and Gail!" she excitedly exclaimed.

Kid Curry laughed. He really enjoyed seeing her happy. He had wondered if she would recognize the place. "Yes," he chuckled, "we're gonna see the Baileys. I thought you might like some more time playing with them."

She trotted her horse up next to his and said, "Let's run! They'll be so surprised!"

"Oh no, we don't," he said, reaching out to hold her horse's reigns. "We're going to ride in nice and slow. We already draw too much attention as it is and I don't know what kind of telegraph the Crocketts sent ahead."

The smile left Penny's face and she worriedly asked, "Am I going to have to go back?"

"No," he promised. "Nobody is going to send you back there."

She thought another minute and then asked, "Are you going to get in trouble?"

"Well, now that all depends on the Crocketts," he surmised, remembering that the sheriff had told him that the Crocketts were well connected. Then seeing her frightened expression, he added, "But don't you worry none… I don't think there'll be any trouble." He said it, but for some strange and unknown reasons, he didn't believe it.

***********************************************

Heyes was awake bright and early. He met the others in the hotel's dining room and it didn't take a genius to figure out what they were up to.

Heyes whispered, "I ain't telling you boys not to rob the bank, I'm just asking you to wait until The Kid and I have left town before you do."

"That means we havta sleep outside another night and it's cold," Kyle whined.

"Look, fellas, you know how much we want this amnesty. If you wait another two days, enough time for Kid and me to be seen 100 miles away, then I'll pay for a couple of hotel rooms for you."

Wheat and Kyle exchanged glances and shrugged, "Why not? It's not like we have somewhere else to be?" Wheat stated.

Kyle agreed, "And as long as he's paying for a room, I think it's a good idea."

Heyes smiled, satisfied with the outcome.

By mid morning, the town was a bustling with people. Buckboards were coming in empty and leaving full. Ladies were juggling boxes and bustling from shop to shop, and children were playing games in the street. Heyes and the boys sat on the porch of the hotel and rocked in the rocking chairs, enjoying a peaceful silence and watching the mid-week crowd grow.

Lobo tapped Dutch on the arm and that got everyone's attention, "Look," he said, pointing up the street. Leaning against a porch pillar was Black Jack McCoy. Heyes furrowed his brow. He didn't like the look of that.

Then Dutch slapped Lobo on the chest and pointed in the opposite direction and said, "Look."

Coming into town were two horses, Kid sat atop one, and a little girl sat on the other. Heyes looked right and then left, then asked, "I think we better stay low until we figure out what's happening." He got no argument from the boys who slunk down low and dropped the brim of their hats.

As Kid and Penny walked down the middle of the street, the town folks' reaction was just like before, they garnered a lot of attention. Kid was scanning the sidewalks, specifically looking for Mrs. Bailey or anything the Crocketts may have tried to throw at him. Penny was watching him closely obviously picking up some tension about him. "Mr. Jones?" she asked. But his eyes were fixed up the street and Penny followed his gaze. Kid Curry was staring at trouble.

"That's far enough!" Black Jack McCoy yelled from the center of the street. His tone was the unmistakable voice of a man that meant business.

Kid pulled his horse up and reached over and pulled Penny's horse up. He stared at the man dressed in black. Penny stared at Mr. Jones. Heyes and the boys had front row seats from their position.

"Get off your horse," the man ordered.

Kid Curry cocked his head slightly, sizing up the man and his clothes and the way he wore his gun. Gently, he countered, "Mister, are you talking to us?"

"No, I'm talking to you. Get the girl outa here."

The man meant business and Kid knew it. He looked around at the town; they were paralyzed in their tracks. The sidewalk was crowded with unmoving spectators; the streets were full of men and wagons, stationary in their space. Children had stopped playing, men had filtered out of buildings and the sheriff and his deputies were out in force.

Kid slowly yet deliberately got off his horse and reached over and took Penny off her horse. Because there wasn't a sound to be heard, most people nearby could hear him address the young girl. He softly spoke to her, "Take the horses over there and tie them up."

"But Mr. Jones---"

He cut her off, "Do it, Penny." She hesitated and he soothed, "Go on, it's okay."

She pulled the two large animals off the street and looked back to see Mr. Jones and this man facing off at each other.

Curry pushed his buckskin coat back and hooked his thumbs on his gunbelt, relaxed and confident. "Mister, I've been six long days in the saddle, taking care of this little girl. I'm hungry and I'm feeling particularly mean right now. So unless you make your point, and make it soon, I'm going to go to that hotel and get a couple of rooms."

McCoy sneered, "I'll be glad to tell you what this is about. First off, I want the whole town to know that I'm Black Jack McCoy, and second off, I want the whole town to know that you're not Mr. Jones." Turning to the law in the town, he yelled loud enough so people farthest away could hear him, "Sheriff, this is Kid Curry and I'm claiming the ten thousand dollar reward money. And since the reward is good dead or alive, I think I'll do him a favor and turn him in dead!"

There was a hushed rumble as people realized that one of the most famous outlaws of the time was standing in their street. Curry waited for the murmur to die down before replying, "Well, McCoy, I have something to tell you that you ain't gonna like. You see, you're a little late because this little girl is turning me in for the reward." Curry never took his eyes off McCoy when he addressed the law. "Sheriff? Whether he kills me here on the street or not, the money on my head goes to Penny Owens."

Again, another hushed rumble waved through the crowded town.

Wheat moved for his gun, but Heyes stopped him with a soft hand to his side arm and an almost imperceptible shake of his head. Wheat looked like he wanted to argue, but Heyes was already focused back on the street's activities, trying hard to control the knots his own stomach was producing. Even though he'd seen Kid in this situation before, this time, he was up against a cold blooded killer, and even if it didn't look like it affected Kid Curry, it sure was having an ill-effect on Hannibal Heyes.

"I don't think so, Mr. Curry," Black Jack McCoy sneered. "You see, Sheriff, I'm also here because Mr. Curry kidnapped that little girl and I've been hired to take her back."

Penny yelled out, "That's not true!" She started to run into the street when a man stepped forward and stopped her, it was Bob Bailey. She pleaded with him, "Please Mr. Bailey tell them it's not true, he saved me from them!"

"We believe you, Penny," he soothed and pulled her back onto the sidewalk. The time was drawing near and the street became deathly quiet.

Kid Curry stood firm, sizing up his opponent, measuring every movement he was making, calculating the time he had. As the moment of the draw came nearer, Curry had the ability to block out everything but the gun that might kill him and the hand that would pull the trigger. All of his senses and all of his acuity were focused on one thing. A canon blast could occur, and Kid Curry wouldn't hear it. He was in the place where he had to be in order to survive.

If Black Jack McCoy had half as much self discipline, he might still be alive. But he drew first and Kid drew second, and after two blasts of gunpowder, only one man remained standing. Unfortunately for that one man, he quickly realized that the sheriff and every deputy had him surrounded at gunpoint.

"Drop the gun, son," the sheriff ordered.

Kid Curry debated a second, thinking death might be preferably to spending twenty years in prison, but after hearing the sheriff cock his rifle, he loosened his grip and let his gun slip from his hand. He just stood there, looking at Black Jack McCoy's lifeless body.

Penny squirmed away from Mr. Bailey and ran into the street. "No!" she cried. Curry turned, kneeled down and caught her full force as she wrapped her tiny arms around his neck and clung to him. "I don't want you to go away! I don't want them to take you! Please don't leave me!"

Mrs. Bailey ran into the street but stopped several feet away.

Curry unhooked Penny's arms and looked at her. Her face was tear-streaked and she was as dirty as she was the first time they rode into town. "Listen, Penny, remember when I told you we couldn't stay together because it was too dangerous?"

She nodded.

"Well, I need for you to understand that. I need for you to stop the tears and stop the crying. I'm going to be okay, but I'm probably going away for a long time." He wiped away her tears and smiled, "But it'll be easier on me if I know you're not going to be sad." She held back a tear through quivering lips and nodded.

He stood up slowly and looked at Mrs. Bailey. "Sheriff?" he called.

"Yeah?"

"There's an evelope in my pocket?"

The sheriff nodded to one of his deputies, who walked over and took an evelope out of Curry's inside coat pocket.

"Give it to her," he said, nodding to Mrs. Bailey. She reluctantly took it but was confused. He explained, "There's three thousand dollars there, plus the ten on my head will give you and your husband thirteen thousand dollars. It's yours if you'll take care of Penny."

Before she could respond, the deputy pulled each of Curry's hands behind his back and cuffed him. Then, the deputy pushed his prisoner towards the jail.

***************************************************

Heyes and the gang continued to sit on the porch chairs at the hotel. They watched in silence as The Kid was led away. They watched Black Jack McCoy's body get carried to the undertakers, and they watched as the town slowly returned to normal. Every conversation they could hear was centered around Kid Curry. The silence they sat in was comfortable. Heyes had been thinking, and a smile slowly adorned his face. "I have a plan," he softly said.

The men loved Heyes' ideas. "What is it?" Kyle asked.

"How much dynamite did you bring?"

Suddenly, the plan, as if telekinetically transmitted to each of the men, had become crystal clear. With a sly smile, Wheat replied, "Enough to blow the bank and still have a stick or two left over for the jail."

**************************************************

The bank job went off without a hitch, but true to form, they didn't reap much money. But the beauty of the job, as far as Heyes was concerned, was that the bank couldn't have possibly been robbed by Kid Curry and Hannibal Heyes since Kid Curry was locked up tight in the local jail.

Two days later, after the bank robbers were long gone and the posse had returned exhausted, a second blast rocked the small town of Plattesville and Kid Curry escaped. Crawling through the hole that the blast had made in the side of his cell, he heard his name. When he looked, all he could make out in the pitch black was a man on a horse "C'mon," the man called. Curry didn't need light to know who it was, "Heyes!" he excitedly called. "Shhhh, let's go!" Curry grabbed the reigns of the second horse and together they raced away.

They didn't stop running for several hours, finally feeling assured that they weren't being followed, they slowed to a walk. Heyes broke the silence, "I hope you don't mind me breaking you out of jail like that."

Curry looked at his partner, and suddenly realized that they were partner again! "How'd you know where I was?"

"I sent a telegram to Lom after you did. He told me."

"Did you just get here?"

"Nah, we got here a few days ago."

Curry looked confused, "We?"

"Yeah, me and the boys. They came down here with me in case I had to knock some sense into your thick head."

"…and the bank?"

"Wheat's doing. It actually worked out well. At least you have an alibi."

Curry became silent, he'd spent two days thinking about the past two days, and he didn't want to think about it anymore. But he was sure glad he was back with Heyes.

"Kid?" Heyes broke the silence. "We saw the whole thing with Black Jack McCoy."

"I couldn't let him take her back to Brighton," he answered.

"I know."

He waited a beat, then asked, "You okay?"

Kid looked at his partner in the dark, "I am now."

**********************************************

Six Months later

Heyes and Curry stopped at the tree line to the farm. The weather was cooler now and the days shorter. They could see the smoke rising from the fireplace. "Well," Kid said, "it's now or never." They spurred their horses forward.

Kid knocked on the door and Bob Bailey answered it. He was shocked at first, but quickly recovered and pulled Kid inside, and when he realized that Kid Curry wasn't alone, he pulled the dark haired man inside as well. "Mary?" he called. "Come here, we have visitors!"

Mrs. Bailey came out of the kitchen and smiled broadly. "Mr. Jones! I'm so glad you came back. Penny said you would." Then she looked to the dark haired man.

Curry introduced them, "This is my partner, Mr. Smith."

"How do you do," Heyes removed his hat and greeted the family.

Curry answered Mrs. Bailey's comment, "Yes ma'am. It took longer than I thought it would take. I wanted to see how you were getting on with her?"

"Well, why don't you see for yourself." She went to the hallway and called, "Penny, Grethen, Gail? Come here please."

The two daughters came first and stopped when they saw the strangers in the room. Penny walked into the room and when she saw Kid Curry, her face lit up, and she ran full speed and jumped into his arms. She wrapped her now strong arms around his neck and rejoiced, "I knew you would come back! I told them you would be back! I told them!" Kid hugged her and replied, "You didn't think I'd leave forever, did you?"

She wouldn't let him go and he finally said, "Here, let me take a good look at you." She released her grip around his neck and he set her on the floor. She was still too thin, but her hair was nicely brushed and pulled off her eyes, and her clothes were clean, and her face had color in it, and her eyes were bluer than his. "You get prettier every time I see you." She blushed, feeling proud of herself. "I brought you a present."

"You did? Where is it?"

"Outside."

The girls ran to the door and opened it. Tied to the railing was a horse. There was a squeal of delight as the girls raced over to him and began petting him and rubbing his shoulders. Curry addressed Mr. and Mrs. Bailey, "I hope you don't mind that I brought her horse back to her. He's been stabled there for six months."

"We don't mind a bit," Bob replied. "Come in and sit a spell."

Curry and Heyes did and he offered them both a fine cigar. He opened the conversation with, "I wasn't too surprised when you escaped from jail. I'm glad everything worked out for you."

Curry asked, "Did you know about Brighton?"

Bob shook his head, "Only the rumors that I'd heard. Penny wasn't the first little girl to travel to Plattesville on her way to there. I sure hope someone does something to close them down." Heyes gave Kid a sharp look and knew what he was thinking.

Quickly, he added, "We do too. The publicity surrounding the death of Black Jack McCoy may have done some good." Bob nodded hopefully. Suddenly, the noise filled the room and the girls returned to the house.

Grethen and Gail went into the kitchen to help their mother but Penny stayed and leaned up against Curry's chair. Eventually, she crawled up into his lap and stared at his friend. Heyes finally stopped talking and offered her a smile.

Very seriously, she asked, "Is that your friend, Mr. Jones?"

Curry nodded, "Yep, that's him."

She looked at him and he smiled at her. Then she turned her attention back to Curry and she stated, "You seem happy now."

A smile slowly came to his lips and he nodded. Finally he said, "So do you, Penny. So do you."

Fini~


End file.
